Official Draft Thread 2015-16

[Celtics_History_Lesson]

Jakob Poeltl
Diamond Stone
Caris LeVert
Jake Layman
Wayne Selden
Ivica Zubac
Paul Zipser
Marshall Plumlee

There you go, who I have the Celtics selecting with all their picks. Height, swingmen, players to pick and forget about for a while in the second round, some interesting prospects. Celtics would need to have four roster spots, maybe five, but that is possible.

Obviously there will be some selling or trading of some picks, and hopefully putting two or three picks together to move up, but right now there are eight picks for the Celtics.

If A Johnson, T Zeller, E Turner and J Jerebko disappear they won't be missed as the above can easily replace them. Selden might even be a step up from Cooter Clarke.

[brackdan70]

Jakob Poeltl
Diamond Stone
Caris LeVert
Jake Layman
Wayne Selden
Ivica Zubac
Paul Zipser
Marshall Plumlee

There you go, who I have the Celtics selecting with all their picks. Height, swingmen, players to pick and forget about for a while in the second round, some interesting prospects. Celtics would need to have four roster spots, maybe five, but that is possible.

Obviously there will be some selling or trading of some picks, and hopefully putting two or three picks together to move up, but right now there are eight picks for the Celtics.

If A Johnson, T Zeller, E Turner and J Jerebko disappear they won't be missed as the above can easily replace them. Selden might even be a step up from Cooter Clarke.

I sure hope that Brooklyn pick can end up top 3-4 so that Poeltl isn't among our best choices, but other than that not bad. Selden is pretty interesting, having a really good year and he was considered a lottery talent coming in as a freshman.

[robbie84]

Buddy Hield vs VCU.
Gilbert Arenas anyone?

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMlPU_k6uJA[/youtube]

[DK-All Day]

Picking Ingram over Simmons is similar to picking Melo over LeBron in 2003. Not saying Simmons is LBJ though. There is no need to get cute at the top of the draft. Simmons is the #1 pick. That's the bottom line.

[ddb]

Picking Ingram over Simmons is similar to picking Melo over LeBron in 2003. Not saying Simmons is LBJ though. There is no need to get cute at the top of the draft. Simmons is the #1 pick. That's the bottom line.

I was thinking about this the other day. This draft in some ways, and to a lesser extent reminds me of that Lebron draft.

Simmons-LeBron
Bender- Darko
Ingram- Melo
Dunn-Wade
Rabb- Bosh

Choose wisely Boston if you keep the pick

[No-Man]

Jakob Poeltl
Diamond Stone
Caris LeVert
Jake Layman
Wayne Selden
Ivica Zubac
Paul Zipser
Marshall Plumlee

There you go, who I have the Celtics selecting with all their picks. Height, swingmen, players to pick and forget about for a while in the second round, some interesting prospects. Celtics would need to have four roster spots, maybe five, but that is possible.

Obviously there will be some selling or trading of some picks, and hopefully putting two or three picks together to move up, but right now there are eight picks for the Celtics.

If A Johnson, T Zeller, E Turner and J Jerebko disappear they won't be missed as the above can easily replace them. Selden might even be a step up from Cooter Clarke.

It is funny how you have Zubac deep in the 2nd when he is the best prospect on that list.

Poeltl, Stone, LeVert and Layman are enormous reaches with those picks, no way I touch them that high, especially Stone who is a 2nd round level prospect.

[ParticleMan]

Simmons is months from signing a 100M+ shoe deal and fufilling an arbitrary obligation solely set forth to profit the NCAA. Keep that in mind before you crucify an 19/20 year for not showing up to an anthropology or sociology class that has no relevance towards his future.

it isn't about learning sociology, it's a character trait.

when you're asked to do something that you don't want to do, do you still buckle down and invest 100% in it even if you don't see the relevance?

this is what coaches ask guys to do in the nba all the time -- sacrifice their own game to fit in to the team concept, play D, set screens, etc.

i don't think this is a huge deal but it's far from irrelevant, and it drops my opinion of simmons moreso than whether or not he has a jumpshot frankly. you can change that, but it's a lot harder to change your character.

I guess I just don't see how learning sociology or psychology has any relevance to a 19 year old who is about to sign a 9 figure shoe deal in a few months.

There are MANY 19 year olds who struggle with their first semester in college, and they're not putting in 40+ hours a week to train for a sport. I'm not going to fault Ben Simmons for having his priorities in line and choosing to focus on basketball over going to class. Basketball is his future and will be the sole driver of his future income.

There are many valid criticisms of Ben Simmons- he can't shoot, his defensive effort, etc- but I struggle to see how a 19 year old not caring about the indigenous people of New Guinea used yams as a currency/Roman History/DSM IV/Mitochondria is a negative. Its not at all similar to a coach asking you to sacrifice for the team because it has nothing to do with basketball-- it's more akin to being mad he's not shagging fly balls for the baseball team, or being the ball boy for the football team.

Meh, it's not about the education itself. It's the attitude.

Look, if on-court Simmons was a total bulldog who simply refused to let his team be non-competitive and carried them on his back until he just couldn't anymore, then I wouldn't be worried about this. That would mean that he is blowing off class so that he can be in the gym working like a dog until midnight. Maybe that's the case, I don't know. If so, then my argument is moot.

On the other hand, it might indicate a pattern of a guy who basically kind of shrugs his shoulders and gives up when things aren't as easy as they should be. Frankly, his on-court play does not allay that fear. That is a bad, bad sign. It's like he wants to take his god-given gifts as far as they go, but if it comes to actually putting in the work and sweat and effort to do those tough things you need to do to excel, then he's just not willing to do it.

If he wasn't the #1 pick, I wouldn't sweat this. But a #1 pick sets the tone for your entire franchise for years to come. Having a guy with the attitude of Joe Barry Carroll instead of Larry Bird makes a huge, huge difference.

[ryaningf]

Picking Ingram over Simmons is similar to picking Melo over LeBron in 2003. Not saying Simmons is LBJ though. There is no need to get cute at the top of the draft. Simmons is the #1 pick. That's the bottom line.

I was thinking about this the other day. This draft in some ways, and to a lesser extent reminds me of that Lebron draft.

Simmons-LeBron
Bender- Darko
Ingram- Melo
Dunn-Wade
Rabb- Bosh

Choose wisely Boston if you keep the pick

Except that Bender is going to be the best player to come out of this draft....

This is my top 5:
1. Bender
2. Ingram
3. Simmons
4. Dunn
5. Murray

[Edug27]

Picking Ingram over Simmons is similar to picking Melo over LeBron in 2003. Not saying Simmons is LBJ though. There is no need to get cute at the top of the draft. Simmons is the #1 pick. That's the bottom line.

I was thinking about this the other day. This draft in some ways, and to a lesser extent reminds me of that Lebron draft.

Simmons-LeBron
Bender- Darko
Ingram- Melo
Dunn-Wade
Rabb- Bosh

Choose wisely Boston if you keep the pick

Except that Bender is going to be the best player to come out of this draft....

This is my top 5:
1. Bender
2. Ingram
3. Simmons
4. Dunn
5. Murray

What exactly are going basing that off? A 5 min youtube video? Unless you've seen many of his games as we have the other names mentioned there, then in that case OK.

[Edug27]

Anyone who passes on Ben Simmons will regret it forever.

Yes he has coasted
Yes he can't shoot well

But as an article pointed out recently citing Giannis, he is a different kind of strata and if Giannis can show what happens when a player like that adapts then Simmons who is a better player to start than Giannis will morph into something so special we can't imagine it yet.

Ingram is the safer choice but ultimately Simmons is the best one.

cept Simmons has short arms

Same height and wingspan as Blake Griffin I read. Don't think I've ever watched Blake play and thought his arm length was affecting his play... Not sure if you have or not.

[Edug27]

If Hield was a freshman, I think he'd have a shot at the number 1 pick.

[ddb]

Picking Ingram over Simmons is similar to picking Melo over LeBron in 2003. Not saying Simmons is LBJ though. There is no need to get cute at the top of the draft. Simmons is the #1 pick. That's the bottom line.

I was thinking about this the other day. This draft in some ways, and to a lesser extent reminds me of that Lebron draft.

Simmons-LeBron
Bender- Darko
Ingram- Melo
Dunn-Wade
Rabb- Bosh

Choose wisely Boston if you keep the pick

Except that Bender is going to be the best player to come out of this draft....

This is my top 5:
1. Bender
2. Ingram
3. Simmons
4. Dunn
5. Murray

could you please elaborate on what makes you so sure that Bender will be the best player from this draft? Just curious. I'm not trying to be a jerk.

[ryaningf]

I was thinking about this the other day. This draft in some ways, and to a lesser extent reminds me of that Lebron draft.

Simmons-LeBron
Bender- Darko
Ingram- Melo
Dunn-Wade
Rabb- Bosh

Choose wisely Boston if you keep the pick

Except that Bender is going to be the best player to come out of this draft....

This is my top 5:
1. Bender
2. Ingram
3. Simmons
4. Dunn
5. Murray

could you please elaborate on what makes you so sure that Bender will be the best player from this draft? Just curious. I'm not trying to be a jerk.

To put it simply: he's a 7 footer who plays both ends, and he's got supreme bbiq & anticipation skills. If he can become a knock-down shooter from deep--and given his character traits and current shooting base I think he can--he has a chance to be the best player in the entire league. Even if he doesn't become a great shooter, he'll still be one of the few guys in the entire league who can go head to head with Anthony Davis or Karl Anthony Towns and play them to a draw and those 2 guys figure to own this league within 2-5 years. He's 17 and skinny but he's ticks every box for me, mentality, character, skillset (can pass, defend, rebound, shoot, score, and think the game at a high high level), size, etc....

Ultimately I think he's a center you run your offense through...a new age Bill Walton (if Bill Walton shot 3s).

I like Simmons a lot but from a pure entertainment perspective, dude is incredibly fun to watch, like a 7 foot Rondo. But like BfB and others have noted the rest of the baggage that comes with him will be difficult to deal with on either a long term or winning basis. I mean, I will not complain if he ends up on the Cs (Stevens would be perfect for him) but there will be a lot of growing pains and drama in his development.

Ingram is my clear cut #2 because he can't be stopped offensively and he's got such great length that you can envision him being a good defender and rebounder in time. I just think people tend to overrate individual scoring ability when they evaluate players and I personally don't see enough of an all-around game to put him above of Bender on my board.

Dunn is like if Rondo was a bigger longer better athlete who enjoyed shooting/scoring on occasion. I love the dude, incredible defender and playmaker who can give you 30 if you need it. I was the lone voice in the wilderness lamenting his decision to pull out of last year's draft because I thought there was a great chance for him to slide to 16. He'd be a great consolation prize if we can't package the Nets pick for a transcendent player (or if we end up moving Smart to bring in another all-star).

Murray has an ugly game when he's missing but he's got that Paul Pierce/Brandon Roy thing about him where he's this average athlete but overcomes it by always maintaining his balance. Great footwork. Sees all the angles and can create his own shot and create shots for others. I wish he was like 2 inches taller and I have some worry about him being more Randy Foye than Brandon Roy so that's why he's middle of the lottery for me.

Guys like J Brown outta Cal should just stay in school. He has no idea what he's doing out there. He looks like an NBA player but doesn't have the feel or much intelligence to play like one. Skal too, he only looks good when his shot is falling, he could really use another couple years in school to figure himself out...

[Edug27]

Whoa..

[ryaningf]

If Hield was a freshman, I think he'd have a shot at the number 1 pick.

And, all things being equal, RJ Hunter is a better prospect.

Don't get me wrong, Buddy's having a hell of a year and I've liked him as a first round prospect since his sophomore year. He's a great GREAT human, incredible worker, and will be a pro from the first day of training camp and probably have a 15 year career when it's all said and done. But, that said, in all honesty there's not much separating him from Jodie Meeks.

[Ben-N1ce]

Except that Bender is going to be the best player to come out of this draft....

This is my top 5:
1. Bender
2. Ingram
3. Simmons
4. Dunn
5. Murray

could you please elaborate on what makes you so sure that Bender will be the best player from this draft? Just curious. I'm not trying to be a jerk.

To put it simply: he's a 7 footer who plays both ends, and he's got supreme bbiq & anticipation skills. If he can become a knock-down shooter from deep--and given his character traits and current shooting base I think he can--he has a chance to be the best player in the entire league. Even if he doesn't become a great shooter, he'll still be one of the few guys in the entire league who can go head to head with Anthony Davis or Karl Anthony Towns and play them to a draw and those 2 guys figure to own this league within 2-5 years. He's 17 and skinny but he's ticks every box for me, mentality, character, skillset (can pass, defend, rebound, shoot, score, and think the game at a high high level), size, etc....

Ultimately I think he's a center you run your offense through...a new age Bill Walton (if Bill Walton shot 3s).

I like Simmons a lot but from a pure entertainment perspective, dude is incredibly fun to watch, like a 7 foot Rondo. But like BfB and others have noted the rest of the baggage that comes with him will be difficult to deal with on either a long term or winning basis. I mean, I will not complain if he ends up on the Cs (Stevens would be perfect for him) but there will be a lot of growing pains and drama in his development.

Ingram is my clear cut #2 because he can't be stopped offensively and he's got such great length that you can envision him being a good defender and rebounder in time. I just think people tend to overrate individual scoring ability when they evaluate players and I personally don't see enough of an all-around game to put him above of Bender on my board.

Dunn is like if Rondo was a bigger longer better athlete who enjoyed shooting/scoring on occasion. I love the dude, incredible defender and playmaker who can give you 30 if you need it. I was the lone voice in the wilderness lamenting his decision to pull out of last year's draft because I thought there was a great chance for him to slide to 16. He'd be a great consolation prize if we can't package the Nets pick for a transcendent player (or if we end up moving Smart to bring in another all-star).

Murray has an ugly game when he's missing but he's got that Paul Pierce/Brandon Roy thing about him where he's this average athlete but overcomes it by always maintaining his balance. Great footwork. Sees all the angles and can create his own shot and create shots for others. I wish he was like 2 inches taller and I have some worry about him being more Randy Foye than Brandon Roy so that's why he's middle of the lottery for me.

Guys like J Brown outta Cal should just stay in school. He has no idea what he's doing out there. He looks like an NBA player but doesn't have the feel or much intelligence to play like one. Skal too, he only looks good when his shot is falling, he could really use another couple years in school to figure himself out...

I honestly have no clue what your Bender analysis is based on because I can't find much about the kid anywhere.

[freewhitemoon]

Anyone who passes on Ben Simmons will regret it forever.

Yes he has coasted
Yes he can't shoot well

But as an article pointed out recently citing Giannis, he is a different kind of strata and if Giannis can show what happens when a player like that adapts then Simmons who is a better player to start than Giannis will morph into something so special we can't imagine it yet.

Ingram is the safer choice but ultimately Simmons is the best one.

cept Simmons has short arms

Same height and wingspan as Blake Griffin I read. Don't think I've ever watched Blake play and thought his arm length was affecting his play... Not sure if you have or not.

blake griffin is known for his trex arms. and they do affect his play, especially on the defensive side where he is very limited

[Edug27]

cept Simmons has short arms

Same height and wingspan as Blake Griffin I read. Don't think I've ever watched Blake play and thought his arm length was affecting his play... Not sure if you have or not.

blake griffin is known for his trex arms. and they do affect his play, especially on the defensive side where he is very limited

Nonsense. His defense isn't a result of his arm length. There are tons of guys with long wingspans who are stiffs on defense. And you quickly went to defense because Blake is a good scorer and rebounder in the league despite his "short arms".

[chakdaddy]

Glad Simmons declared. With the change in deadline I imagined him staying in school if Lakers didn't win the lotto. Silly worry, no chance of part A of B happening.

[freewhitemoon]

Same height and wingspan as Blake Griffin I read. Don't think I've ever watched Blake play and thought his arm length was affecting his play... Not sure if you have or not.

blake griffin is known for his trex arms. and they do affect his play, especially on the defensive side where he is very limited

Nonsense. His defense isn't a result of his arm length. There are tons of guys with long wingspans who are stiffs on defense. And you quickly went to defense because Blake is a good scorer and rebounder in the league despite his "short arms".

just because some guys with long wingspans arent good at defense dosent mean short arms aren't a disadvantage. Griffin can't protect the rim because of his short arms, that's just a fact. his athleticism helps but having to jump every time to contest a shot puts you at the mercy of the pump fake. I went to defense because the original comparison was between giannis and simmons. you may not know this but giannis is a two way player and is known for being a monster on defense. and that's where his gogo gadget arms come in handy